Case Study: Crafting a very Vintage vanity

With a calming sky-blue colour palette and delicate gold detailing, Louise Mair’s vanity unit cuts an impressive figure in her stylish ensuite and is a piece of furniture unique to her home. Indeed, when she was planning her ensuite, she had her heart set on having a countertop basin style for this, so when she couldn’t find exactly what she wanted, Bathshack stepped in to help Louise achieve her vision, based on a bespoke brief.

The result is a stylish vanity unit which delivers everything Louise was looking for and which embodies the distinct aesthetic of The Vintage Room, characterised by a mixture of French-inspired pastel blue and green tones, with gold accents.

“I was very fussy about the sink for the vanity unit,” said Louise. “All the ones I’d come across during my research for the ensuite were in the countertop style and I really had my heart set on having one of those, but all the units I could see at Bathshack had inset basins. My husband said, ‘If your heart’s set on that, then we’d better stick to it,’ so I told Colleen at Bathshack Ballymena what I was after.

“She was great, because she said Bathshack could actually make us a vanity unit bespoke.”

Having discussed what she wanted with Colleen, Louise subsequently looked through the vanity units in the Bathshack catalogue, picking out a style she liked. This was then used as inspiration for crafting her own unique vanity unit.

The model she chose was inspired by the Josef Martin Shandon range, with Louise’s finished vanity being the ‘Josef Martin Shandon 600mm Countertop Two-door Gentle Sky’ unit.

Louise’s bespoke Josef Martin vanity unit with countertop basin.

“It wasn’t on the product list,” she said. “I said I wanted to use the Little Greene ‘Gentle Sky’ blue paint, so Bathshack made the vanity unit to match the panelling in the ensuite and the bedroom, using that exact paint. I was absolutely delighted.”

Profiled cupboard door detailing

While the Josef Martin Shandon vanity units include inset basins, Louise’s bespoke unit was made with a flat countertop so she could place a basin on top of it, rather than having this contained within the vanity.

The front of the vanity has profiled doors, with V-groove sides which match the wall panelling.

The unit subsequently includes two doors to the front, which have again been adapted to suit her specifications, so they extend the full length of the unit and are slightly longer than the standard doors on the other Josef Martin designs. Louise also chose her own handles, sourcing these herself from a seller online to get the quirky vintage style she wanted and to continue the gold detailing used throughout the room.

The panelled look of Louise’s cupboard doors is, however, the same as the other Josef Martin units, which feature profiled doors, complete with V-groove sides and a traditional skirting plinth around the base. All this detailing gives the unit added texture and definition, adding to its overall character and distinctive look. Meanwhile, the colour and design of the vanity unit also perfectly matches the wood panelling on the walls, which is in that same ‘Gentle Sky’ blue paint and has a similar overall aesthetic.

White marble-effect worktop

“Colleen showed me all the options of the vanity units and what the doors would look like,” said Louise. “Then she got me to choose the countertop, which was a marble-type design. It’s slim, with a subtle sparkle and was exactly what I had pictured in my mind.

“I was so pleased with that. When it arrived, I was absolutely delighted. It’s just always worth asking what can be done, if you don’t see what you’re looking for at the start.”

Louise’s countertop is the Solaris Slab 12mm solid worktop, which was subsequently crafted to fit the measurements of her vanity unit.

“I could have picked a much more expensive vanity, but I didn’t want to spend too much,” she said. “So, Colleen worked with us to get what we wanted at a reasonable price. The wee cupboard is very handy for putting your toiletries in and I wanted the unit to close all the pipework in as well, which it does.”

The countertop basin sits on a white Solaris Slab worktop and is paired with the Eliseo Ricci Exclusiv Tall Mono Basin Mixer in Brushed Brass.

Countertop basin with brushed brass tap

Sitting on the worktop, meanwhile, is Louise’s wished-for countertop basin – the Ravak Uni 400mm B Slim Countertop Basin in Ceramic from Bathshack. With a deep bowl and a sleek, circular style, the basin has a gloss-white finish and is paired with the Eliseo Ricci Exclusiv Tall Mono Basin Mixer in Brushed Brass.

Specially designed for use with countertop basins, the Eliseo Ricci mixer has a taller style, along with a lever handle and a warm brushed brass tone which ties in with the other brushed brass and gold elements within the room. This includes the basin waste, with Louise choosing a matching brushed brass style for this.

The Ravak Uni B Slim Countertop Basin with brushed brass tap and waste accessories.

“The vanity unit and the shower are my favourite things in the ensuite,” said Louise. “It all came together perfectly and was a hassle-free process with Bathshack because Colleen was so helpful with helping me achieve my vision.

“I got everything delivered at the same time, too, so it was a reasonable timeframe for that as well. It really was worth it, getting the vanity unit designed bespoke. I told Colleen – ‘you’ve made my bathroom dreams come true!’”

How to create your bespoke vanity unit with Bathshack:

• Chat to one of our team about what you’re looking for in a vanity unit in terms of style, budget and key features.
• Look through the available vanity units and basins to select a design and style that you like.
• Discuss specifications and bespoke details e.g., measurements, features such as cupboards, door styles etc.
• Decide on colour palette and finish.
• Choose countertop.
• Sit back and wait for delivery…

Louise’s finished vanity unit – created bespoke by Bathshack.

You can follow Louise’s lifestyle and interiors content on Facebook at The Vintage Room or on Instagram @thevintageroom.

If you’d like some help with choosing a vanity unit, just email our team at info@bathshack.com or call us on (028) 9077 0188. Alternatively, our online chat is also available if you have any queries.